Series Tied at 2-2, Pacers Face Off Against Thunder in Crucial Game 5

The Indiana Pacers have moved on from the disappointment of Friday night's Game 4 loss after the Oklahoma City Thunder's surge in the final three minutes evened the NBA Finals series 2-2. It was a "big disappointment," according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle postgame as his team led most of the way, even pushing the lead to 10 in the third quarter. But the Thunder outscored the home team 31-17 in the fourth to take the series back to OKC tied at 2-2.

Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said Sunday that he actually likes having the opportunity to respond after a loss.

“It’s the best part about playoff series, is when you get the chance to respond,” Haliburton said. “I think that’s the great thing about sports. You’re going to have good games. You’re going to have bad games. But there’s nothing like the game to respond. I look forward to doing that with this group, coming out and competing. We’ve got to be ready for a really big challenge that lies ahead with this team and in this environment.”

The Pacers haven’t lost two games in a row since March 10. It’s not a streak they’re looking to break, either.

Both teams practiced in Oklahoma City Sunday in preparation for Game 5. Carlisle said that games like Game 4 aren’t anything new, especially this late in June.

“Tough losses are a part of a playoff series,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s just if this was easy, they would be pulling people off the street to play in the NBA Finals and coach and do what you guys are doing. You guys are the best in the world. Everybody else here is perceived to be the best in the world at this moment. So it’s difficult.”

The Pacers spent the last two days looking at film and finding ways to correct failures before facing the Thunder again for Game 5.

“You look at it, you take it for what it is, and it becomes pretty clear the things that you need to do to be better,” Carlisle said. “Our job as a staff is to take those things, simplify them, communicate to them in a simple, concise way what we can do better.”

“In the playoffs, it’s different. You don’t get the right to flush games,” Haliburton said. “You have to learn from everything and watch film and see where you can get better. Game 4 didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but the biggest thing is you can’t let one spiral into two. You can’t take the disappointment of that game and let it be a snowball effect. You have to be ready to go for Game 5 here, again in a hostile environment. We are both two games away. Anything can happen here. So you have to move on as quickly as you can.”

Game 5 of the NBA Finals tips off in OKC’s Paycom Center Monday night at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.